Azumanga Truth or Dare
by doesitweighmorethanaduck
Summary: Set during their third visit to Chiyo's summer house. The girls decide to play a little game of Truth or Dare. Includes drunk Tomo hitting on Kagura, as well as some other shippiness. What could go wrong? Rated T for... the aforemtnioned elements. I know it's long for one chaptr, but I couldn't really find a good place to break it up.


On their third visit to the summer house, they had a lot of fun. One of the ways they had fun was by playing a game. That game was Truth or Dare. Well, that's what it started out as. The game went little different than you may expect, but one thing was certain: nobody would ever forget what happened that night.

Never.

"Okay, guys, the night is young and the moon is bright!" A dark-haired young woman crowed. "Let's bust out the drinks and par-tay!"

"Yukari, the moon is covered by clouds tonight," sighed a second woman. "And you know we shouldn't be getting drunk around the kids. It will be a bad influence on them."

"And yet, wasn't it you who drank a bottle of sake and ended up giving them all a little sex-ed lesson last year, Nyamo?"

"T-that's true, but..."

"I agree with Yukari-chan!" A short-haired girl said. "This is our last night here, so we should have some fun!"

"That's right, I guess we'll be going home tomorrow," a tanned girl mused. "And next year we'll be in college..."

"Don't worry, Kagura-san, I'm sure we'll see each other even after graduate," a younger girl with pigtails said. "Besides, that's not for months yet!"

"Even so, this just might be one of our last opportunities to all be together like this," a brown-haired girl with glasses said thoughtfully. "I'm not saying we should get drunk, but we should do something fun."

"That's the spirit, Yomi!" The first girl grabbed her shoulder. "Is there any doubt why you're my best friend?"

"Actually, Tomo, there's a lot of doubt concerning that matter."

"I know," said the younger girl. "Why don't we all play some kind of game?"

"Ohh, you mean like the sports fest?" Said a girl with a daydreamy look in her eyes. "We could all have a bread-eatin' race."

"Umm, actually, I was thinking more along the lines of a board game."

"Do you keep any board games here, Chiyo?" Yomi wondered.

"Actually, I don't think we do," she said. "We don't keep any decks of cards here, either."

"Maybe we could play Twenty Questions," Tomo suggested. "Then again, maybe we should pick something that Osaka could easily understand the rules of."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She seems even more zoned out than usual tonight," she explained. "I think her brain gets sleepy and goes into dream mode."

As of to make her point, the accented girl offered another suggestion.

"Maybe we could all go to an amusement park or somethin'."

Everybody stared at her.

"Osaka-san, I don't think any would be open at this time of day," Chiyo said finally.

"Then maybe we could go to a festival?"

"There aren't any festivals going on right now."

"S-say, I've got an idea," said another girl who had not spoken up until then. She was blushing heavily. "Why don't we play Truth or Dare?"

"Hey, that's a great idea," said Kagura. "I can't remember the last time I played that!"

"I'm a little nervous about playing it with Tomo," Yomi said. "But it's not like we're coming up with any better ideas."

"Yes, it sounds quite fun," Chiyo agreed. "But let's ask our teachers first."

"I'm okay with it as long as there aren't any dangerous dares," said Minamo, the more sensible teacher. She leaned in and whispered in Chiyo's ear, "and please, please, please make sure not to let Yukari play. No matter whether you pick truth or dare, she'll make you regret it."

Chiyo nodded, quietly relaying the message to the others.

"Aaw, why can't we do anything dangerous?" Tomo complained. "If you pick dare and they tell you to go climb onto the roof or something then you obviously shouldn't have picked it."

"That's exactly what I was going to say," Yukari agreed. "And great news: I'll let you do whatever you like within the confines of this game if you let me play!"

Minamo sighed.

"If she's going to play, I guess I'm in too," she muttered. "So, Kaorin, why did you suggest this game? You don't seem like the type to think of something like that."

She blushed, not wanted to admit the reason.

Her gaze wandered to the one girl who had remained silent the entire time- a quiet and somewhat intimidating girl with long black hair. She was tall, athletic, and had a nice figure, and tonight Kaorin was going to find out once and for all what she really thought of her- subtly, of course.

She could never just ask Sakaki-san if she liked her, after all!

"So, who gets to ask who first?" Chiyo asked as they all sat down. "I've never played this before, so I don't really know the rules."

"I think we go around in a circle," said Yomi. "And since you've never played before, Chiyo, let's have you go towards the end."

"I'll start," said Tomo eagerly.

"No way, I'm going to start," Kagura interjected.

"Now, now, let's not fight over this," Chiyo said nervously. "I know! Why doesn't Sakaki-san go first?"

"Oh." The tall girl was surprised and not quite sure what to do. "Um, Chiyo-chan?"

Chiyo glanced towards Yomi.

"You have to say whether you want her to dare you to do something or answer a question that she asks," she explained. "With Sakaki it probably won't be anything too bad, but with certain people you've got to watch out."

"I see..." She thought hard before saying, "then I pick dare!"

"Er, I dare you to..." Suddenly an inspiration came to her. "I dare you to draw a picture of your father!"

Chiyo blinked, then got a piece of paper and a pencil. She took a few seconds, then held up a drawing of a fairly generic-looking middle-aged man.

"It's not very good, since I didn't want to take too long," she explained. "Why did you want me to do that, Sakaki-san?"

"So that's her real father?" Sakaki murmured. "And all this time I thought it was him..."

"Naw, that ain't your father, Chiyo-chan," Osaka said. "That's just an ordinary person!"

"W-well, that really and truly is what he looks like," she said. She remembered something odd Sakaki had said once. "Wait... Did you actually thing he looked like that stuffed animal?"

"This is a deception," Osaka insisted. "It's all a lie!"

"No." Sakaki had a sad look in her eyes, but her voice was firm. "If Chiyo says this is her real father, then she must be right."

"Um, anyways, moving on..." Chiyo tried to get back to the game. "I believe that it's Kagura-san's turn now."

"Okay!" The athletic teen rubbed her hands together. "I choose Tomo! Truth or dare?"

"I pick dare," she said confidently. "Bring it on, sucker!"

"In that case, I dare you to..." She tried to think of something awful. "I dare you to deliberately provoke Yukari-sensei!"

Tomo glanced at Yukari, who was looking at her in a way that said "are you really sure you want to make me angry?" She decided she did not.

"Um, what would the truth have been?"

"Well, that's an easy one," she said. "I would have asked you what your last test grade was."

"Hah! I'm not afraid to admit that!" She laughed. "Plus, yours was probably worse than mine!"

"In that case, what was it?!"

"A 27!"

"Hah! I got a 28!" She grinned. "I guess that means I got a better score than you this time around."

The two Knuckleheads glared at each other.

"I guess it's my turn now," said Yomi, ignoring them. "Now, I would pick Tomo if she's quit butting heads with Kagura..."

She jerked her head away from her rival.

"Oh, yeah? What's the best you could possibly come up with?" She looked at her friend's face and decided she didn't want to know. "I pick truth."

"Then please, tell me what you did with that DVD I let you borrow the other week."

"Huh?" She cocked her head. "What DVD?"

"You know, the one I lent to you because you begged me nonstop for three days to let you watch!"

"I don't remember any DVD..."

"Idiot!" She grabbed her friend's cheeks and pulled on them. "That thing was in amazing condition, and now I'll probably never see it again!"

"Let's see," said Chiyo. "It looks like it's now Kurosawa-sensei's turn."

"Oh, yeah, I only joined to keep Yukari at bay..." She looked at all the girls. "How about I ask my former student? Kagura?"

"Um, I guess I'll go with truth."

"Let's see..." It had been a while since the PE teacher had played Truth or Dare. "Do you have anybody you like?"

"No, not really." She shrugged. "None of the boys really appeal to me that much, I guess."

"Okay, now it's my turn!" Yukari shouted energetically. "Nyamo! Truth or dare?!"

"Um, I think I'll go with truth..."

"In that case, did you or did you not once have a crush on-"

"T-then again, maybe I'll go with dare!"

"Then I dare you to go outside with me and jump in the water!"

"What? But why do you want to come too?"

"I come because I want to," she answered simply. "Now, are we doing it or are we DOING IT?!"

Tomo let out a spurt if laughter and Yukari felt the need to clarify.

"By 'doing it', of course I meant my dare," she said quickly. "We don't ever... Do that. At least, I don't think we ever have..."

"Yukari! You're making it sound like we're in a relationship of some kind!" Minamo clamped her hand over her friend's mouth, pinning her down. "Now come on! If you want us to go jump in the ocean so bad let's go!"

The girls watched out the window as the two teachers ran out the door, across the beach, and into the water. Minamo shivered and Yukari laughed even though she was shivering too.

"Now who's turn is it?" Chiyo wondered. "Ah! It's Osaka-san's turn, right?"

Osaka stared blankly ahead.

"Mah turn?" She said slowly. "Why is it mah turn?"

"It's because of the order we're going in," Chiyo explained.

"Then who should Ah ask?"

"That's up to you to decide."

"Oh, Ah've got a right good idea!" She smiled. "Ah choose Sakaki-san."

"Ah." Sakaki looked at Osaka, trying to figure out what kind of questions or dares she would come up with. "I pick truth."

"Then the truth shall surely be brought to you!"

"Eh..."

"No, no, Osaka-san." Chiyo tried to explain the game to her. "You have to ask her a question!"

"Oh, Ah see." She turned back to Sakaki. "Will it be sunny tomorrow?"

"I-I don't know."

"But if you don't know, then why'm Ah supposed to ask you?"

"Osaka, Osaka, when will you ever learn?" Tomo put her hand on her shoulder and jabbed her finger right at Sakaki. "This is how you do it: Sakaki, how large is your chest?! Come on, say it so we can all hear you!"

"Hey, it wasn't your turn so you can't ask her," Yomi said. "Sakaki, don't answer that."

"Okay, Ah think Ah get th'hang of it now," she said. "Sakaki-san, how old are ya?"

"Huh?!" Said just about everyone in the room (including the teachers, who had just come back in).

"Um, I'm the same age as you are," she said quietly. "17. I'm going to be 18 soon, though."

"So then, what's your favourite colour?"

"No, you only get to ask her one question," Chiyo said. "Um, I guess it's my turn now. I'll ask... Yomi-san."

"Good choice." She pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled. "I'm going to pick dare. Let's see what you can come up with, Chiyo-chan."

"W-well..." She wracked her brain for something fun but not too mean. "I know! Why don't you try going out on the beach and smashing a melon? We can all go watch to make sure you really do it."

She was quite proud of her idea, but of course Tomo complained that she wanted to be the one to smash the melon.

"Even when one's been right in front of me, I've never actually gotten to split one," she whined. "And last year that stupid idiot Kagura stole my chance!"

"Hey!" Kagura smacked Tomo (fairly gently) over the head. "I didn't see your name anywhere on it!"

"I was going to smash it!" She cried. "I was gonna smash it!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"In that case, maybe I should change my dare," Chiyo said. "Or better yet, I could direct it at Tomo instead of Yomi-san."

"Hey, how come she gets a '-san' and I don't?"

"Whatever. Just be happy you're finally getting to split a melon."

They went out onto the beach. Chiyo set a large watermelon down on the sand while Tomo spun around blindfolded.

"Alright!" She cried. "It's melon-splitting time!"

She tried to grab the bat, which was lying next to the melon. However, spinning around had made her dizzy, and she couldn't pick it up on the first try.

This probably should have been a warning sign that this was a bad idea.

When she managed to pick it up, Tomo started wildly swinging the bat around, almost hitting several people. They all quickly took a few steps back.

"Take that, you ungrateful watermelon!" She finally hit it square on, and it cracked in two, neatly enough for them to cut it up and eat it later.

And yet she continued to swing.

"Hyah! Hyyyaaaahh!"

"T-Tomo, the melon is already broken," said Chiyo as she stepped forward.

"What was that?"

She spun around and whacked Chiyo in the face.

The young prodigy fell right over. Everybody rushed to her side. Yomi smacked Tomo in the head.

"Idiot."

After all of that had been cleared up, it was finally Kaorin's turn. The whole purpose of the game had been for her to get some straight answers from Sakaki, so she didn't hesitate a second before saying, "I-I pick Sakaki-san!"

Sakaki nodded.

"I choose truth."

"V-very well." Kaorin gulped. "Sakaki-san, have you ever been in love?"

"Love..." She sighed quietly. "No, I guess I've never really loved somebody in that sense of the word."

"B-but if you had to choose, who would it be?!"

"You already asked something," she said. "It's Tomo's turn now."

"Oh..."

"Aww yeah!" Tomo pumped her fist in the air. "I pick you, Yomi! Truth or dare?"

"I don't even want to think about what kind of dares you might have in mind," she sighed. "I'm going with truth."

"Aha, you think you can avoid humiliation if you give me freedom to ask you anything- anything at all- anything that pops into my head?" She smirked. "In that case, dear Yomi, tell us how much you weigh."

Yomi blushed.

"Th-then again, maybe I'll try a dare."

"Oho, very clever!" Now Tomo was smirking even more. "Then I dare you to do whatever I say for a year!"

"A YEAR?!" She jumped to her feet. "NO WAY IN HELL!"

"In that case, tell us how much you weigh."

"Say," Yukari interrupted, "are we going do to another round of this? Because if we are, I'm going to get some drinks."

"Actually, I kind of hope we don't play another round," Minamo admitted. "This game is pretty hectic. But, sure, you can get some for everyone."

"Okay, I'll be right back..."

"But don't you go getting any alcohol!"

Suddenly Tomo got an idea.

"Guess what? I'm letting you off the hook, Yomi." She turned to Yukari. "Yukari-chan, truth or dare?"

"I'm not afraid of what a student throws at me!" She practically yelled. "Dare, of course!"

"In that case, I dare you to let all of us drink a can of beer!"

"Each or total?"

"Yukari, no!" Minamo gasped. "They're minors!"

"Each, obviously!" Tomo fist-pumped again. "And if anybody gets through one without getting drunk, they have permission to buy another!"

"That's fine, as long as you use your own money."

"It is not fine!" Minamo insisted. "These girls are not to consume any alcohol under my watch!"

"Hey, it's their choice and if they feel they're old enough to drink that's their decision."

She got up and walked over to the minifridge in the kitchen. A moment later she came back with nine cans of beer.

"Um, Yukari-sensei, do we have to drink it even if we don't want to?" An anxious Chiyo asked. "I-if my parents find out I had alcohol they're going to be so mad..."

"Of course you have to drink!" She laughed. "Where's your sense of adventure, Chiyosuke?!"

"B-but..."

"No buts! You'll be in college next year, for God's sake! It's time for you to grow up!"

She took a swig of her own drink. Minamo winced, more so when she handed Tomo a can and the wildcat didn't hesitate to take a big sloshing sip.

"Whoa, that's bitter!" She sputtered. "How do you stand it?"

Within about two minutes both of them were wasted. And they were trying to get the others to follow suit.

"Here, Kagura, you've gotta try this!" Said Tomo, pushing it toward her.

"I'm not sure... didn't you say it was bitter?" She put her hand on her friend's forehead. "Whoa, your face is hot!"

Tomo giggled.

"Why, Kagura, I never knew you felt that way! But what about Sakaki?"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She blushed. "I just meant that drinking is making you feverish!"

Tomo leaned in close to her, breathing on her face. "You may say that now, but will you still be denying me when I dare you to do it?"

"Dare me to do what?" Kagura pushed her away. "Hey, are we going to play another round or what?"

"But of course!" Yukari shouted. "We're starting from Sakaki again!"

She blinked.

"Um, Kagura-san?"

"Truth." She glanced nervously at Tomo. "I don't think we should be doing this again, though."

"So, can you tell me what you think of me?" She looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Jut now, what Tomo-chan said..."

"What? No!" She scratched her head. "Were you... hoping that would be my answer?"

"I guess."

"Anyways, now it's my turn again." She turned to Tomo, who was still trying to get her to try the beer. "Tomo, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she answered readily. "Can you resist the temptation? If you say it, the rules say I must comply..."

"In that case, I dare you not to take another sip of that beer!" She shoved her away as she tried to drape herself over her.

"Aww, you're no fun!" But she complied.

"...And that puts us at Yomi-san's turn again," said Chiyo, who was one of the only ones who was still trying to play an actual, organized game of truth or dare.

"Okay, I pick... Kaorin."

"Um... truth?"

"There's something I've suspected for a long time," she said. "Kaorin, do you have a crush on Sakaki?"

She gulped, glancing at Sakaki. She showed signs of interest in her answer. But was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"W-well, that depends on how you look at it," she said finally. "I really admire her..."

She gazed at her idol, wondering what was going through her head.

"If you really do feel that way, I won't hold it against you," she said after a few seconds. "I know you like me, even though it never occurred to me that you could have had a crush on me."

"I-I don't!" She stuttered, her face flushed. "...U-unless you w-want me to, of course!"

"I don't know if what I want is that important. You need to make your own decisions."

"S-so then, I guess it's Kurosawa-sensei's turn again," she said, realizing that now was not the time to try getting her answers.

"Okay, this time I pick Yukari," she said. "I think she has a few things to answer for."

"It's answers you want, is it?" She cackled. "Then I pick dare!"

"Oh, all right," she sighed. "I dare you to pay for my drinks the next time we go out!"

"Whoa, you guys are going out?!" Tomo said, suddenly jerking up from her bored and half-asleep state. "Come to think of it, you're practically married already!"

"What?!" Minamo blushed. "I didn't mean it in that sense! Don't you and your friends hang out together a lot?"

"Plus, following that logic you and Yomi would be a couple," Yukari added. "And yet, you seem a lot more interested in Kagura-san than anybody else right now."

"Don't judge her for that," Minamo snapped. "She's drunk right now- because you went along with that ridiculous dare she gave you!"

"Whatever, Nyamo. So, it' my turn now," Yukari said, waving her hand in the air dismissively. "Tomo? Truth or dare?"

"Truth, Sensei!" She pounded her fist on the ground. "As they say, the truth is out there!"

"Oh, that's a right good point," said Osaka. "Ah mean, ya'll have probably never heard nary and FBI agent sayin' the dare is out there."

"Okay, Tomo!" Yukari leaned in close to her student, breathing heavily. "Tell me, would you rather have Yomi or Kagura?!"

"Oh, that's an easy one!" She slapped Yomi cheerfully on the back. "I'd prefer Yomi, 'cause that way I could copy her homework! Kagura is such a bonehead her notes don't do me any good."

"Don't base your choice off of that!" She shoved her off. "You've never showed any interest in either of us when you're sober."

"You see there? She's rejected me, so now I have no choice but to go with Kagura." She flopped onto her back and sighed. "At least Kagura has a nice body."

"I don't want to be complimented on my figure by you!" She tried to hold the wildcat back, but apparently she had made up her mind and was determined to seduce the athletic teen.

"Osaka-san, it's your turn again," Chiyo said.

"Okay..." She blinked slowly. "Chiyo-chan, truth or dare?"

"I pick truth."

"Alright then." She cleared her throat. "Chiyo-chan, what's the proper way to take your pigtails off? Ah don't want to hurt you by accident."

"Well, you just untie it here..." She undid the pigtails, letting her ginger hair down. "But I don't see how doing it wrong could hurt me."

Osaka stared at Chiyo's loose hair. Was she starting to cry?

"First your father, an' now your pigtails..." She clutched her head. "Mah whole world is fallin' apart!"

She grabbed a tuft of Chiyo's hair.

"It ain't right. It just ain't right!" She fell to her knees. "Ah wish Ah could just forget it all!"

She gazed at the pile of untouched beer cans. Chiyo nervously tugged at her sleeve, but she couldn't stop her friend. Osaka reached out, picked up a can, opened it up, and slowly took a tiny, cautious sip.

"Huh?" She took another sip, and another, and then started gulping it down. "It tastes awful, but good at the same time."

"Umm, I guess it's my turn again," Chiyo said. "Tomo-san, this time I choose you!"

"A fine choice, my friend," she said. "I pick truth. You couldn't come up with any fun dares anyway."

"Well, then, can you please tell me..." She glanced at Kagura, who was still a little wierded out by Tomo's behavior. "Do you really like Kagura-san? I've heard that you have more courage under the influence of alcohol, so sometimes people do or say things that they've always wanted to but have never had the courage to before."

"Now, now, Chiyo." She patted her head in a patronizing way. "You know that she's not my first choice. Hell, are you jealous if her? Is that the issue here? Well, considering her bust size and all, it's not too surprising, but still! Don't you know that you're the one I love most if all?"

She leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"All right, stop this nonsense right now!" Minamo interjected. In the background, Sakaki gave a worried nod. What if Chiyo-chan's innocence was stolen from her because of this? "You girls have your whole lives ahead of you to explore your sexuality. Please don't do it in front of everybody!"

Maybe it wasn't quite what she would have normally said, but of course she had had a few drinks as well.

"You still haven't answered my question," Chiyo said. "Tomo, do you actually feel that way about us?"

"The perfectly honest answer to that is..." She sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I'll be able to tell you in the morning."

"W-well, I guess it's my turn again," Kaorin said nervously, blushing even more than the first time. "S-Sakaki-san?"

Sakaki knew what Kaorin was going to ask about. And the truth was, she wasn't really sure. And so, she looked up, smiled a little, and softly said, "dare".

"D-d-d-dare?!" Kaorin gulped. Now if she wanted answers they'd have to play a third round, and she wasn't sure if she could handle that. "U-umm...!

Suddenly she realized that she could dare Sakaki to do anything... Anything at all... And she would be obligated to do so. If she had the nerve to say it, and Sakaki didn't feel too uncomfortable, it would happen.

Of course, she didn't have the nerve to say what she really had in mind. That would be going too far. No no no no no! No! No, absolutely not! She could never do a kissing dare. They might expect that from Tomo, but never her.

But would it have to involve herself?

"I-I dare you..." She could barely even think it without blushing furiously, but she just couldn't stand not saying it for any longer. "I dare you to pick out the person in this room who who would most like to kiss, and kiss them!"

She looked surprised.

"I've never... Kissed anyone before," she admitted. "It would be my fist kiss."

"I-if you want, it can be on the cheek!" Kaorin said quickly. "Th-that is, you don't have to do it at all if you don't want to, Sakaki-san! I-I'm so sorry if I offended you!"

"No, that's okay." Sakaki stood up, took a step across the circle, and reached down and grabbed Kagura's hand. "If it's on a dare, it doesn't matter. And like you said, the cheek is fine."

Despite what she had just said, Sakaki appeared to be blushing as she gazed into Kagura's eyes.

"Nooooo!" Kaorin's hair was standing on end like a cat, and her nails scraped the wooden floor. "Why her?!"

But she had been the one to give the dare, so she swallowed hard and forced herself not to squeeze her eyes shut as Sakaki came closer and closer to Kagura...

...And then ran past her, opening the door and rushing out into the street to save a squirrel that had wandered onto the road when a car was coming.

When she came back inside, she explained, "I had been watching it out the window the whole time, and when I saw that I felt the need to act." She glanced at Kagura. "I pulled her up because Tomo was becoming more aggressive. She seems to have calmed down now."

"Well, that's because now I know where I stand," she sighed. "Congratulations, Sakaki. You can have her. Maybe I'll settle for Osaka instead."

"Me?" She blinked. "Why, is it mah turn again?"

"No, she's just letting the booze go to her head." Yomi sighed. "I hate to admit it- and don't get any ideas from this, because I am NOT interested in you- but I'm kind of offended that she'd be your second choice instead of me."

"What yew mean?" She gave her a little slap in the chest. (backhanded!) "I wouldn't want to make out with you! I'd get sucked into all of your fat! Plus, your glasses would get pressed into my face."

"I could take them off..."

Wait, she thought, why did I say that?

"Hey, don't you go calling me fat!" She punched her friend, who let herself fall right over, laughing.

"So, um, Sakaki-san?" Chiyo gazed up at her. "Are you still going to kiss somebody?"

"Please, don't think this has any romantic notions to it," she clarified. "So... I'd guess that you've never been kissed before, so don't worry, this doesn't count."

"What? Don't just assume I've never been kissed before!" Tomo protested.

"What makes you think she's talking about you?"

Smiling, Sakaki bent down and gave Chiyo a little peck on the cheek.

"Um, thank you very much, Sakaki-san!" She touched her hand to her cheek.

"You don't have to thank me," she said quietly. "It was Kaorin's dare."

"Oh yes, that's right!" She turned to the disappointed lovestruck teen. "Thank you for coming up with that dare, Kaorin."

"WHAAAT?!" She recoiled, clutching at her face. "D-did you really enjoy it that much?! Why? Why does everybody get to share a moment with her but meeee?!"

"That's not true." Sakaki smiled. "We had the three-legged race last year, remember?"

"O-oh, yes! That's right!" She sighed dreamily as she remembered coming in first place alongside her idol. "I wish we didn't have to be in different classes this year..."

"Then you should have even more reason than the rest of us to enjoy moments such as these," she said simply. "Now, are we done playing truth or dare? It's about ten forty-five right now."

"Wait! I need my turn first!" Tomo yelled. "Yomi! truth or dare?!"

"Dare."

Yomi's strategy was this: Tomo obviously expected her to try to avoid being dared. This would hopefully throw her off.

"What?! Dare?!" She tried to think. "Okay, I know: I dare you go make out with the wall."

Okay, maybe that was a bad strategy.

Yomi slowly got up, walked over to the wall, and stood at an angle from which Tomo couldn't see properly. She tilted her head back and forth while making passionate noises without actually ever coming in contact with the wall.

"Oh my God! That was hilarious!" Tomo laughed. "Okay, so are we going to play another round now it not? Now it's, like, ten forty-eight.

"Well, all things considered, I think it's time to go to bed," Minamo said. "Yukari, don't even think about getting out another case of beer!"

"Naw, Ah wanna play again," said Osaka. "Ah just thought of a bunch of new dares an' questions Ah could ask!"

"And no doubt they'll be gone from your memory by the time it's your turn," Yomi sighed.

"Hey, from now on I'm going to support anything that Osaka says!" Tomo grabbed the spacey girl's shoulder and shook it back and forth. "When we get home, we're going to announce out newfound love to the whole school by singing a ballad together!"

Yomi facepalmed. Tomo smirked.

"In case you were wondering, I had the singing part planned out right from the beginning! That's another reason why I didn't choose you."

She wrapped her arms around Osaka and moved her head and lips around dramatically without actually touching her for a few seconds.

"That was my passion," she said. "It shall light the school ablaze with the fiery heat of my burning desire!"

"Speakin' of which, why do they call those there things passion fruit?" Osaka wondered. "Are they really good kissers or something'? But how would fruit make out, anyhow? After all, they don't have mouths."

"You know what I think?" Of course nobody wanted to know, but Tomo said it anyway. "When it comes to fruit, there's no doubt I'm a melon!"

"Are you bragging about your chest size, or are you trying to say you're fresh and summery?" Yomi asked. She didn't care, but it would be amusing to see which one she really and truly believed.

"Both, of course!" She made a victory sign and out her hand on her hip, not noticing that Osaka's head was pinned under her arm. "I'm busty and summery! That's why I look so good in a bikini!"

"But you ain't all green and stripy like a melon..." Suddenly Osaka's eyes went wide. "So if you're a melon, what'm Ah?!"

"You're a pineapple."

"Oh, Ah know! Ah must be a sea slug!" She grinned. "Go team sea slug!"

"What? Sea slugs aren't a fruit." She squinted at her. "Plus, I already said you're a pineapple. Then again, maybe a banana would be better."

"So, are we still playing Truth or Dare or aren't we?" Chiyo asked, understandably confused.

"I'm pretty sure we stopped playing a long time ago," Yomi said. That just made Chiyo even more confused. "I guess this group and Truth or Dare don't mix, especially when alcohol is thrown in."

She nodded.

"Yes, it's really too bad about that part. I hope Tomo and Osaka-san don't permanently damage any brain cells."

"Yeah, God knows that's the last thing those two knuckleheads need."

"We're not knuckleheads!" Tomo shouted. "Our combined score was greater than yours!"

"Yes, your combined score was." She was irritated by Tomo's confused look. "But the combined scores of Chiyo and I- only two people's-would have been almost twice as high as yours- the combined scores of three people."

"And when you think about it, things such as college exams requrire an individual score," Chiyo pointed out. "So in the end, there's really no point in adding up your scores at all."

"Look, everyone, if we're not going to play another round let's go to bed." Minamo stood up and gathered up the remaining cans of beer. "I'm tired, and we have to leave tomorrow, so we shouldn't have any more pointless messing around."

"No fair!" Tomo cried. "Let's just have one more round! Pretty please?!"

"Come on, Nyamo, what harm can one more round do them?" Yukari tried to grab a can of beer from her friend's arms, but she jerked them away. "I think it'll be fun."

"Okay, but after this we're done," she said firmly. "And if I see anything that I deem inappropriate, that person is out of the game."

"All right!" Tomo cheered. "Sakaki, it's back to you again!"

"Hmm..." She looked at everybody in turn. She really didn't want to ask any of them. "Chiyo-chan."

"I choose dare this time!" She said proudly. "As a personal challenge to myself, I will pick dare every time this round!"

Sakaki looked long and hard at Chiyo. Even though she was so small and cute, her eyes burned with fierce determination. She wanted to be taken seriously with all her heart.

And so Sakaki gave her a serious dare.

"I want you to tell the first person you see when you walk through the school door in two days that you love them."

"Male or female?" She blushed as she imagined making a declaration of love to one of her classmates or, worse yet, a stranger "B-but what if it's one of you?"

"That would be fine." She looked to her right. "Kagura?"

"Um, Tomo."

"No!" She turned away. "You shall never get me back, you traitor!"

"Just pick truth or dare, bonehead."

"Well, truth, then." She sniffed. "I know if I picked dare you'd tell me to do something scandalous with me!"

"Okay, then, tell me what song you plan to sing with Osaka." She glanced at the accented girl, who was now trying to peer between the cracks in the floorboards. "If it's something too romantic or suggestive, there might be some homophobes who'll bully you for it."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that," she said cheerfully. "We're going to be singing an original song. We're working on it right now, in fact. Wanna hear it?"

Not waiting for an answer, she and Osaka stood up and started to sing.

It went something like this:

Tomo: I don't care if you have no chest to speak of...

Osaka: I'll always be by your side, just like a sea slug.

Tomo: You must be a hundred percent beef to be this good!

Osaka: Even if Ah come last, you're first in mah book.

"Okay, I think we get the idea," Yomi groaned. "Let's hope you don't actually sing that."

"So, whose turn was it now again?"

"It's mine." Yomi glared at Tomo and Osaka. "Osaka, truth or dare?"

"The dare is out there," she said. "... How come you never hear 'em sayin' that?"

"So which one do you choose?"

"Ah choose truth."

"Good, that's what I was hoping for. Osaka, do you really like Tomo? Because I don't think you are thinking one bit right now, assuming that you're capable of thinking to begin with."

"Oh, Ah think you just might be right," she said thoughtfully. "Ah mean, she was the one who said we'd be singin' a song an' all."

"I guess it's my turn now," Minamo sighed. "But honestly, I'd kind of like to skip this round."

"Oh, all right, Nyamo," Yukari muttered. "I know! I'll dare myself for you! Yukari, I dare you to have another can of beer. Why thank you, Yukari! I'll do my best!"

"Sigh."

"And now for me to pick somebody out to torture," she cackled. "I know... Chiyosuke! Truth or dare?!"

She gulped. She had said she would pick dare every time this round, but she didn't like the gleam in her teacher's eyes.

"I-I pick dare," she said bravely.

"Okay." Yukari picked up a can and held it up. "Chiyo, I dare you to drink this entire can of beer!"

Her eyes went wide. She couldn't willingly drink alcohol. She would get in so much trouble!

But it was too late to turn back now. Hands trembling, she picked it up and put it to her lips.

"Try opening it first."

Nodding, she slowly opened the can. Bringing it to her mouth, she took a sip.

"Pwah!"

She spat it out, gagging.

"Y-Yukari-sensei?" She felt horrible, but she did not want to drink that. "What would the truth have been?"

"Oh, that's an easy one," she said cheerfully. "I would have asked you what you really and truly thought of me. Don't lie, and don't sugarcoat it. What is your honest opinion on me?"

Chiyo glanced nervously at her. Would Yukari-sensei know if she was lying?

"...But you picked dare," she finished. "So there's no backing down now!"

She grabbed Chiyo's arms in one hand, pinning her down. With the other hand, she pressed the can to her lips and tipped it back. She felt the cold and bitter liquid pour into her mouth and she had no choice but to gulp it down.

Within twenty seconds, she started to feel different.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" Tomo cheered.

"Aahhh!" She gasped when the last drops of alcohol had been poured down her throat. "That was awful!"

"How does it feel to be adventurous?" Yukari patted her on the back. "Someday you'll thank me for this!"

She coughed and sputtered. Her hands blurred in and out of focus in front of her.

"An' now Ah guess it's mah turn again," Osaka said. "Ah pick Tomo."

"Dare, of course!"

"Then Ah dare you to sing the entire song we just made up with me."

"Okay, let's go!"

She cleared her throat.

"Yeah, I don't care if you have no chest to speak of..."

"You're right by mah side, just like a sea slug."

"And even if you speak kind of weird..."

"With you around, Ah ain't got nothin' to fear."

"And when all the songs have been sung..."

"An' when all the melon bread has been won..."

They faced each other and sang in not-quite-perfect harmony.

"The Osakan and the wildcat are in love! Let's conquer the world, one by one! So come on baby take a chance... And have some Knucklehead romance!"

Chiyo and Sakaki clapped politely. Yomi facepalmed.

"And now it's my turn," Chiyo said. "Let's see... Sakaki-san."

"Truth."

"Tell me, if your mother wasn't allergic would you have tried to take that Iriomote cat from our trip to Okinawa home with you?"

"No." She sighed. "I wish I could have, but it just wouldn't have been right..."

"That was the only time in this entire game that seems like a regular Truth or Dare question," Yomi muttered.

"Even if Ah come in last place..."

"In my book I won the race..."

"It don't matter if it's an escalator or an elevator!"

"When I'm with you who cares about haters!?"

Osaka and Tomo sang their song while Kagura nodded, jotting down notes and calling out suggestions.

When they (sort of) harmonized, their song sounded more like something a cheerleader would chant.

"Splitting melons in the warm summer sun, Chiyo-chan's summer house is super fun! And now we've been blessed by the stars above, 'cause the Osakan and the wildcat are in love!"

"So, I suppose it's my turn now," Kaorin said after a few minutes of The Osakan And The Wildcat: Melons And Sea Slugs (the name they had come up with for their song).

She didn't want to be obvious by picking Sakaki every time, but this was the last round, and anything had yet to develop.

"Sakaki-san, truth or dare?" She was going to do it. She was going to make her feelings known.

"Truth."

"Th-then please, tell me..." She gulped. This was it. This was the moment. "If you had to go out on a date- in a very romantic context- with somebody in this room, w-who would it be?!"

"...I don't know." She looked long and hard at all of them. "I guess I value the friendships we have, so I wouldn't want to risk ruining them..."

"But what if..." She fidgeted, nervous not even beginning to describe the way she was currently feeling. "Wh-what if they didn't mind at all, b-because the truth is, they've always w-wanted to be more then a f-friend to you, Sakaki-san?!"

"Then I would pick them." She blinked. "But honestly, I don't really feel anything for any of you."

...

"Noooooo!"

Kaorin was in shock. She had never really thought that someone as cool as Sakaki-san would ever fall in love with her, but she had teased herself with the idea every now and then.

"A-are you sure that you wouldn't even consider going out with any one of us?" She cried. "I-I mean, what if they really, really like you, a-and..."

"If this about yourself, you should say so." She leaned over and laid her hand on Kaorin's cheek. "I'm not saying I don't feel anything, and I'm not saying I do. The truth is, I don't really know."

"All right!" Tomo slid back into her original spot, pushing Kaorin and Sakaki apart. "The last turn of the game goes to me! Yomi, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"My truth and my dare remain the same as round one," she cackled. "And this time, there's nothing you can do about it!"

"Geez, that's awful," Kagura whispered to Sakaki. "Do you have any ideas for how to get her out of this?"

She nodded, whispering something.

"Hey, good idea!" Kagura raised her voice. "Oh, Sakaki-sama, I love it when you talk that way! Come here!"

"What's this?!" According to plan, Tomo's attention was completely diverted from Yomi. "I know we're over, Kagura, but I still can't stand to see you flirt with another woman! Stop that at once!"

"But you're not daring me, so you can't tell me what to do." Kagura shrugged. "It's too bad. We even could have had a hot Knucklehead threesome. Yomi and Sakaki want in on it? We can turn them down and not look back."

"Whoa, I like the way you think," Tomo admitted. "But I'm not changing my mind. You're not getting out of it this time, Yomi! Will you go with the truth or the dare? You have to pick one..."

"Very well." She got up, walked over to Tomo, and slapped her. "That was the dare, right? To slap you in the face?"

"Was it?" She blinked. "That's weird, I don't remember it being that."

She blinked, more slowly, and this time when she opened her eyes they glared.

"That wasn't it at all!" She grinned. "Okay then, I guess a whole year is a bit much. So instead, I dare you to try to make Osaka jealous. You see, I'm beginning to doubt her faithfulness. So, I want you to kiss me or something to test her reaction."

"Are you kidding me?" She blushed. "Tomo, I am not going to kiss you."

"What's the matter?" She poked her forehead teasingly. "Are you chicken?"

"No, I just-"

She was cut off by Tomo, who took a step toward her and tripped, crashing down and taking Yomi with her. They landed one on top of the other in a most uncomfortable position.

"G-get off me!" Yomi tried to push Tomo off, but she seemed determined to stay there. "Hey! Come on!"

"But I can't get up." She smiled, snuggling up just a little bit too much. "You have to make me."

"Oh, all right, then." She pushed harder, not accounting for comfort. "Gah! Why are you so determined?!"

In answer, Tomo leaned in and gave Yomi a long kiss.

"Get. OFF!"

She kicked her friend off, feeling strange, but not in a good way.

"I can't believe you'd do that," she gasped, holding her hand over her mouth. "I-I just can't..."

"Oh." Tomo appeared disappointed. "So you didn't like it?"

"Like Hell I didn't!" She was shaking now, tears streaming down her face. "I'd never been kissed before. I always thought when it finally happened, it would be with a boy..."

"But I love you." Was she speaking, or was it the beer? "I love you, Koyomi."

"Don't use my full name!" She jerked away. "It just sounds so weird coming from you."

"So, then," Osaka said. "Are we still playin' Truth or Dare or what?"

"No, I think we're all done with that now," Kaorin said, faking a laugh.

"Say, don't you have your camera here to get some candids for the yearbook?" Kagura asked. "You should take a few shots of these guys. It would be hilarious!"

She nodded.

"Shouldn't we ask them first, though?" Even so, she was already over by their luggage. "Then again, at this point I doubt it would make much difference."

She quickly got her camera and snapped a few quick photos.

"Tomo, Osaka, can you sing that song of yours again?" She put the camera on the "video" setting. "A video can't go in the yearbook, but it will be a good keepsake."

Nodding, Tomo backed away from Yomi and took her place beside Osaka.

"Oh, I don't care if you've got no chest to speak of..."

"You're right by mah side, just like a sea slug."

"And even if you speak kind of weird..."

"With you around, Ah ain't got nothin' to fear."

"And when all the songs have been sung..."

"An' when all the melon bread has been won..."

"The Osakan and the wildcat are in love! So let's conquer the world, one by one! Come on, baby, take a chance, and have some Knucklehead romance!"

And then, onto the second verse:

"If it's an elevator or an escalator, it don't matter none."

"You must be a hundred percent beef to be this good!"

"An' even when Ah come in last place..."

"When you run beside me, I win every race!"

"Splitting melons in the warm summer sun, Chiyo-chan's summer house is super fun! And now we've been blessed by the stars above, 'cause the Osakan and the wildcat are in love!"

Holding imaginary microphones, they struck a pose. No doubt they were imagining stylish and flashy costumes, a stage, and a jazzy soundtrack.

"Whoa, you sound like you should be on Broadway!" Kagura gasped. "Hey, Chiyo-chan, when you go to America be sure to check that place out!"

"Yes, I was planning on doing that," she said, nodding. "But I'm not sure if everyone would be supportive of two women singing a duet..."

"I don't think that's the main problem here," said Yomi. "'The Osakan and the wildcat' are not going to be in love by tomorrow morning, when they wake up with hangovers. Just trust me here."

"And on that note, let's all go to bed now," Minamo said sternly. "There will be no more fooling around tonight. Yukari, I mean it! We are not going to play another round, and that's that!"

"Oh, c'mon, Nyamo," she whined. "I'll pay for your drinks the next time we go out!"

"That's not going to persuade me!" She narrowed her eyes. "Besides, didn't I already dare you to do that?"

"I don't know..." Yukari flopped onto her back, throwing an empty can of beer into the air. It landed on her head. "Hell, I don't even remember what I dared you to do."

"You dared me to jump into the ocean with you," she sighed. "You know, maybe if we did that again now, it would clear your head."

In the end, they did not do it again. It was eleven fifteen but it felt like at least two in the morning, they were so tired from the eventful game.

Of course, some of them had a little trouble falling asleep due to a certain duo incessantly singing The Wildcat and the Osakan: Melons and Sea Slugs.

In the morning,Tomo was the first one to wake up. She looked at her hand, which was draped across Osaka. Her other hand was clutching a hairbrush, which she had been using as a microphone while the others were trying to sleep.

"Wow, I have a headache..." She moaned, tucking back into her futon. "I seem to remember something about Kagura and Yomi begging me to love them."

A few minutes later, Sakaki got up. She remembered that Kaorin had been quite flustered that night, but she couldn't quite recall the entire conversation. She patted the sleeping girl on the shoulder, smiling softly.

She then glanced at Chiyo, who was usually the first one up but today was taking her time (remember that she had also consumed a can of beer, thanks to Yukari).

"Nnn... Yomi? Is that you? Oh wait, It's Sakaki..." Tomo's fumbling hand grabbed at her ankle. "Sakaki, can you please tell me what I did last night?"

"Well..." The tall girl bit her lip. "You and Osaka were singing an original song."

"Huh?" She blinked. "What was it about?"

"It was about you being in love." She looked away from Tomo's reaction, which was too bad, because it was quite something. "Oh, there's a cat."

She walked over to the window to gaze at the kitty.

"I really don't remember singing anything... Osaka! Hey, Osaka!" Tomo shook her awake. "Hey Osaka, do you remember anything about singing an original song with me?!"

"Oh, that'd be The Osakan an' the Wildcat: Melons an' Sea Slugs," she explained. "...Huh? Ah never knew you was there, Tomo-chan."

"I was there the entire time." She looked around. "Hey, Kagura, wake up! Do you remember anything?!"

"Oh, wait..." comprehension dawned on the spacey girls' face. "Ah remember now! We was playin' The Dare is out There."

"...Is that, like, some kind of X-Files version of Truth or Dare?"

"Oh yeah, that's what Ah was tryin' to say." She smiled. "It was fun, huh? An' you got to split a melon, Tomo-chan."

"Huh? I did? Really?!" She grinned. "Yahooo!"

"Do you have to be so loud?" Grumbled Yomi, who had been woken up by her cheer. "Wow, you managed to get up? I'm impressed."

"An' you guys kissed, too."

"WE DID WHAT?!"

"Okay, let's head out of here," Yukari said. "Who's in my car this time?"

Everybody looked at each other nervously. Chiyo made a dash toward Minamo's car.

"Note to self," Yomi muttered. "Never play Truth or Dare with these idiots again."

"Really? My note to self is to play it lots and lots of times!" Tomo linked arms with Osaka and Kagura. "We'll all ride in the Yukari-mobile!"

"Wait... me, too?" Osaka tried to pull away, but Tomo wasn't having it. "Naw! Ah don't wanna die!"

"It's okay, Osaka," Tomo said cheerfully. "We sing our ballad all the way home- as practice for singing it in front of the school tomorrow!"

"I'll take Kurosawa-sensei's car," all the other girls chorused.

THE END!


End file.
